18 March 2011 – Athens

This morning we woke up from a restful sleep and felt ready to move on.  So we had breakfast, packed our backpacks and headed for the hostel hotel downtown.  The metro is back on today so we are going to take the subway.  After studying the maps and talking to other tourists we figured out that we would take the blue line down to the Sindagma Square, then switch to the red line for two stops and we would be only a couple blocks away.

Getting the blue line worked without a problem.  It was the start of the run so seats were plentiful.  By the time we got down to Sindagma Square the metro train was packed and we were sitting with our packs on our laps.  No problem we got off and headed over to the red line again trying to make sure we were going in the correct direction.  This train was full and as we started to get on we literally were being pushed.  At one point we considered waiting for the next train but it was impossible to get out of the flow of traffic to avoid being pushed into the train.  This is the worse that I can ever remember.

At the second stop we got off the train relieved since I really wondered how we would manage to reach a door to stop out.  But this was a major stop and a lot of people went out so again we just went with the flow and ended standing on the platform.  However, Wes discovered that his wallet had been stolen in the process.  He had it zipped in his pants pockets and they unzipped and removed the wallet without him even noticing.  Fortunately his passport had not been taken and we had photocopies of all the items in his wallet encrypted on our computer so once we found the hotel we immediately got out the computer, set up Skype and started to make phone calls.  It took about an hour and half to ensure all notifications were taken made.   This is a harsh lesson and so far we have not been too impressed with Athens. 

For example, driving on the streets would be a nightmare since the only rule seems to be to get there, feel free to use your horn, crowd pedestrians, oh and remember that the lines between lanes if the motorbike lane so watch you don’t crowd the line or you will wipe out one of the many bikes riding up between vehicles.

As for pedestrians, well if you are brave cross the road anywhere.  If you are like us and a bit used to cross walks, use them but never expect a car to stop for you.  The rule seems to be that if you walk out they stop, but if you even hesitate or look at the driver, the car carries on.  Wes is learning to be a bit bolder or we would not be getting across many streets.  It was quite a surprise yesterday to discover a motorcycle coming up behind us on the sidewalk and expecting us to dive to the side to let him pass. 

After we got all the phone calls done, we decided to carry on as tourists so headed out to look for a couple more tourist sites.  We decided to avoid the Acropolis since it is a good half day and we did not have that much time left.  So we headed back to Sindagma Square to find the The National Gardens. 

This swath of green is broken up by many paths and benches, making it an easy stroll and a good chance to grab some cleaner air and shade, especially during the hot days of summer in Athens.  However as we walked around for a bit we realized that it is early spring here and there was not really much to be enjoyed.  We decided to head over to area Ancient Athens Agora. 

 The agora in Athens had private housing, until it was reorganized by Peisistratus in the 6th century BC. Although he may have lived on the agora himself, he removed the other houses, closed wells, and made it the centre of Athenian government. He also built a drainage system, fountains and a temple to the Olympian gods. Cimon later improved the agora by constructing new buildings and planting trees.  Today the ruins are there for the viewing but we arrived later than around 4:30 pm and the area is closed at 3.  Another place to return to tomorrow I think.

As we walked around the city in this area we are amazed at the maze of streets.  If we did not have a good map I am sure we would get lost.  But often the issue is not the map, but the names on the streets and the names on the map.  We have learned that often when the Greek names are translated to an English form it can have several different spellings. 

What we have learned to do is to use the GPS to locate us and if we have an address to our next location, use that to help plot a route.  Remember that the streets in this area are very narrow and the sidewalks are even narrower.  However we did stop at an authentic Greek restaurant and had a really nice dinner sitting practically on the sidewalk.  The Greek salad is so good here..wonder why?